One Palestinian recites a string of interlocking tales to another in this tragic, yet deeply humane examination of the plight of the Palestinians. (2/21/06)

The Last of Her Kind, by Sigrid Nunez (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $25)

A pair of 1960s college roommates is reunited decades later when one goes to jail and the other is determined to find out why. (2/21/06)

Black Swan, Green Swan, by David Mitchell (Random House, $23.95)

This brilliant coming-of-age tale follows a year (1982) of adolescent turmoil in the life of a poetic British teen struggling with a speech impediment. (4/21/06)

Suite Française, by Irène Némirovsky (Knopf, $25)

Two recently discovered novellas deliver a sharp, ironic view of the Nazi occupation of France, written as it was taking place. (4/25/06)

Digging to America, by Anne Tyler (Knopf, $24.95)

Anne Tyler cleverly critiques American culture by contrasting the lives of two US families both adopting Korean children. (5/9/06)

Theft,by Peter Carey (Knopf, $24)

Two brothers spin a tale of art, intrigue, and uneasy love in the latest novel by Man Booker-prize winner Peter Carey. (5/23/06)

Talk Talk, by T.C. Boyle (Viking, $25.95)

When a con artist lifts an identity in this novel by PEN Faulkner award- winner T. C. Boyle, the thief gets more than he bargained for as his deaf victim gives him chase. (7/11/06)

Cellophane, by Marie Arana (Dial Press, $24)

In this fanciful debut novel, the family of a Peruvian cellophanemaker learns the hard way that saying whatever pops into your head isn't necessarily the same thing as truth. (7/18/06)

The Lambs of London, by Peter Ackroyd (Nan Talese, $23)

The real lives of Charles and Mary Lamb are the inspiration for this story of a literary family undone by the supposed unearthing of a new work by Shakespeare. (8/1/06)

Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl (Viking, $25.95)

In this lively tale organized as a course on great books, a professor's daughter aces a murder investigation along with her high school classes. (8/8/06)

The Emperor's Children, by Claire Messud (Knopf, $25)

This clever novel examines the undeservedly entitled of New York as they worry about their personal lives and hover unwittingly on the brink of Sept. 11. (8/29/06)

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy (Knopf, $24)

A father and son push an old grocery cart through civilization's ruins and debate ethics along the way in this dark but bracing work by National Book Award winner Cormac McCarthy. (10/03/06)

Imperium, by Robert Harris (Simon & Schuster, $26)

Projected to be part one of a trilogy, this vivid novel recreates the exploits of Cicero, the great Roman orator, lawyer, and politico. (10/6/06)

Abundance, by Sena Jeter Naslund (William Morrow, $26.95)

This finely detailed fictional version of the life of Marie Antoinette offers a portrait of the French queen as a spoiled and self-absorbed woman – and yet her tale is somehow surprisingly sympathetic. (10/17/06)

I wish I could read 'em all but time won't permit. I'm not complaining, however. As the Monitor's book editor, I generally read several really good books each month – and that is an awesome job benefit.

But of course some books – like some months – are more wonderful than others. From among the books on our best-of-2006 list, below are my top 10 personal favorites.

1. Arthur & George, by Julian Barnes. Finely drawn characters in a subtly shaped story based on true events

2. The Inheritance of Loss, by Kiran Desai. First- and third-world themes beautifully fused by a recognition of the universality of human experience

3. The Looming Tower, by Lawrence Wright. Important material in the hands of a gifted writer – how better to absorb current events?

4. There Is No Me Without You, by Melissa Fay Greene. See No. 3

5. Through the Children's Gate: A Home in New York, by Adam Gopnik. You don't have to be a New Yorker to appreciate the charm of these essays.

6. The Discomfort Zone, by Jonathan Franzen. He may provoke the occasional cringe, but Jonathan Franzen is very funny and very talented.

7. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo. I don't often get to curl up with a lovely children's book. This one was a particular treat.

8. The Lambs of London, by Peter Ackroyd. Carefully drawn characters, a literary mystery, a 19th-century London setting – what's not to like?

9. The Lemon Tree, by Sandy Tolan. Sometimes real life serves up a perfect story. This haunting tale from the Middle East is one.

10. The Good Good Pig, by Sy Montgomery. There are few things better than a good animal story.